Half Mast

Has anyone else noticed that a lot of flags have been flying at half mast lately? Or maybe it's just where I live. The first time I saw it, I started asking people what had happened, imagining that I was the last person to know about some national tragedy. Sure, there are a lot of national tragedies, but what I don't understand is how the people in charge of flags decide when to put them at half mast. It's gotten to the point that I just ignore them. Now, I'm on the lookout for upside-down flags at half mast. That will mean things have gotten really messed up.